Just About the Time the Shadows Call
by Lyra36
Summary: "Sometimes, even with as much as she talks about them and insists she will achieve all of them, Rachel doesn't think her dreams will ever become a reality." Canon through 4x06, eventual Faberry.
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes, even with as much as she talks about them and insists she will achieve all of them, Rachel doesn't think her dreams will ever become a reality.

As she stares down at her cell phone, she's suddenly struck by how much her life has changed over the past year. Six months ago, if someone had asked her what she would be doing at this time, she would have talked about being married and most likely reapplying for admission to NYADA. She knows now that while that life may have made her happy on the outside, she would have been dying on the inside as every day the chances of accomplishing her dreams decreased. Quite honestly, if she had gotten married and stayed in Lima, with Finn working in the tire shop while she kept their house, she might never have recovered enough to move on and perform the way she would have needed to finally be on her way.

There had been no wedding, no need to play housewife, because Finn had ended things and put her on a train to New York, ensuring she started school in the fall. She wasn't sure how much of a role her fathers had had in that decision, but she had a feeling that Finn hadn't come up with the idea by himself. So she had moved to New York and begun her freshman year, aware that this was just the first step on her path to her dreams. She struggled to fit in with her peers, lacked the support of her roommate, with whom she would have liked to have been able to talk with about leaving home and adjusting to school, and was forced to come to terms with the idea that maybe she wasn't quite as talented as she had always believed. The night she met Brody in the dorm bathrooms had been enough to spark that little bit of hope again, and she had honestly believed that maybe she did deserve to be there, if this attractive upperclassman certainly thought so. When she and Finn had finally ended things for good she had assumed it would be inevitable that they would end up together, both incredibly talented individuals from small towns, who had struggled to fit in at first. The decision to come back to Lima had most likely been a mistake, but Brody hadn't seemed too upset when she had asked him to reschedule their rehearsals, and so she and Kurt had flown back to Ohio with the surprising gift of Cassie July's frequent flyer miles.

The phone in her hand only adds further to her feelings about what she had just learned. Brody had slept with Cassie. Not only was she angry because it was highly unethical to engage in a student-teacher relationship, but she had honestly thought Brody was interested in her. Apparently she was wrong after all, and she finally allows herself to cry after everything that had happened that evening.

When she finishes and wipes her eyes, she glances around the room again, remembering all the times she had been in this bathroom in high school, whether it be because she was crying or she was desperately seeking advice from Quinn. Quinn, who had always given her the best advice, even when she refused to listen, Quinn, who had given her train tickets so they could stay in touch and still hadn't visited, Quinn, who was still the prettiest girl Rachel had ever met and the one person whose friendship she was most proud of obtaining. She wondered what Quinn would say to her if she could see her now, crying in the girls' bathroom over a boy, again. Not much had changed since high school, had it?

She decides to send Quinn an email when she gets home that evening, and wipes her eyes one last time before exiting the bathroom. As she makes her way down the hallway so she can find Kurt and leave, she hears the one voice she had hoped she wouldn't, and is forced to come face to face with the person who had sent her running to the bathroom in the first place. She stops and talks with him, slightly frustrated with his attempts to analyze her, and she ends up leaving the conversation even more upset than she had been. Luckily Kurt appears in that moment, and the two are able to leave and flee back to Rachel's house, where they both are staying.

They spend the rest of the evening huddled on Rachel's bed eating popcorn and watching horrible reality television (because honestly, even their problems don't seem that terrible while they watch girls their age try to navigate motherhood and having a life. Kurt loves commenting on their fashion and makeup decisions, while Rachel is mainly caught up in thinking that this could have been Quinn, if things had turned out differently. She's incredibly thankful her life didn't.) Finally they both get ready for bed, and Kurt even ends up falling asleep in her room, just like when they were in high school. Rachel can't fall asleep, no matter what position she lies in or how many breathing exercises she tries, and after an hour she's forced to accept that it may not be happening that evening. So instead she lies there and thinks, reflecting on everything that had happened that year. Somehow, all her thoughts seem to come back to Quinn. Quinn was the one who prevented her wedding, the one who encouraged her to follow her dreams even when the entire club was encouraging her to get married and settle. It wasn't entirely unusual that her thoughts were centered around Quinn. There had been so many times where she was simply thinking, or looking in the mirror, and the blonde would overtake her thoughts. She'd wonder how it was fair that Quinn was so pretty and popular, or what she could do differently to make people like her as much as they liked Quinn. When she had considered plastic surgery, it had been Quinn's nose that she had wanted. Somehow it all seemed to fall back to Quinn, which made it even more curious that neither of them had used those Metro Passes yet, or even mentioned the possibility of using them. Rachel realized she had forgotten to email Quinn when she had gotten home, and she wondered if it would be too late to send the other girl a text message. Texting Quinn still brought up mixed feelings for her, because she completely blamed herself for the accident no matter how many times Quinn insisted it wasn't her fault. It was only 11:30 and a weekend night, there was certainly a chance that Quinn was still awake. Checking to make sure her phone was on silent so she wouldn't wake Kurt, she typed up a brief message.

_Hello Quinn, I hope you're doing well this evening. How have you been, lately?_

It was short, but it invited conversation, and Rachel didn't want to be so forward as to send Quinn a message right out asking about visiting one another. She laid in bed and waited, wondering if Quinn would respond to her. Suddenly a message popped up on her screen, and she saw Quinn had responded.

_Hi Rachel. I'm just getting back from a party at one of my roommate's friend's apartment. I'm doing okay, busier than since we last talked. How are you? _

She stared at the message on her screen, wondering how to respond. Hesitantly, she began typing a message back. _I'm in Lima for the weekend, with Kurt. It's strange seeing how things have changed. New York truly feels like home now. _It wasn't much of a response, but it was getting harder for her to come up with things to say that didn't involve suggesting a visit. Her phone lit up again a few minutes later with Quinn's answer.

_I feel the same way about New Haven. Yale is my home now. Lima will always be where my technical home is, and I'm going to come home for the holidays, but there isn't much left for me in that town. I think it's a good sign. You were always meant to get out of Lima, Rachel. There's nothing wrong with growing up and beginning your life._

She reread the message several times, trying to interpret just what Quinn was saying. Finally she couldn't look at it anymore, and she typed a response, this time not hesitating in the question she wanted to ask most. _Since New York is my new home, I'd like to introduce one of my old friends to it. Is there any way you'd come visit me? We haven't used our train passes yet. _Rachel almost couldn't look at her phone, but curiosity won out, and she waited anxiously for Quinn's response.

_I have a paper due and an exam the week after this, but the following week I don't have anything big. Would two weeks from this weekend work for you? I'm done with classes early Friday morning, so I could catch a train that afternoon._

Rachel's eyes went wide, and she had to keep herself from making too much noise and waking Kurt. Quinn was going to visit her. In two weeks. She excitedly typed out another message. _Yes, that would work perfectly. I could pick you up at the station that afternoon. Is there anything specific you would like to do or see while you're visiting? _She had all sorts of ideas for things she would like to do, but Quinn was her guest, and she wanted to give her that option.

_I'll let you know what train I will be on when it gets closer. It's your home, Rachel. I'm sure you'll plan an itinerary for us that will be fine. _

She grinned at the screen, still not quite believing it was happening. _I'm looking forward to seeing you, Quinn. _The response was almost instantaneous, and she smiled even wider.

_Me too, Rachel. I can't wait to see you. I'm going to do some reading now. Goodnight._

_Goodnight, _she typed back, rolling over and placing her phone on the nightstand. She couldn't believe how happy she was. Her evening, which hours earlier had been horrible, was suddenly perfect. She would be seeing Quinn in two weeks. Closing her eyes, Rachel finally was able to fall into a contented sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next two weeks passed in a blur of excitement and anxiety for Rachel. Classes thankfully took up a good portion of her day, so the only time she really had to think about Quinn's impending visit was when she was at home at night, usually before Kurt arrived home from Vogue. She tried to keep busy to keep her mind off of everything, practicing lines just in case she was cast in _The Glass Menagerie_. If that wasn't enough to help her focus, she would resort to planning activities for her and Quinn to do when she got to New York. The other girl had already seen many of the more famous sites the past time they had been in New York as a Glee club, and Rachel wanted desperately to be able to show Quinn new things. Broadway tickets were likely too expensive with this short notice, and while they could try waiting at the ticket center in Times Square to see if any cheaper tickets opened up, she didn't want to plan an entire evening around an activity that could end up falling through.

The other time she experienced pangs of anxiety was when she saw Brody for the first time after the phone call with Cassie. Dance 101 had certainly been painful, having to cope with the smirk that appeared on Cassie's face every time she looked at Rachel. Cassie had begun drawing even more attention to herself during class as well, often demonstrating new advanced steps or dressing in even more revealing clothing than she had in weeks past. As much as Cassie's actions were bothering her, she was able to try to overlook it, knowing she needed to simply pass the class and move on in order to stay at NYADA.

Seeing Brody was an entirely different experience. For the most part she had been able to avoid him, she was no longer living in the dorms, and as an upperclassman they didn't have any of the same classes. If she caught sight of him in the hallways she would usually turn and walk the other way, and she always went straight home after her classes rather than lingering for extra practice opportunities. The Tuesday before Quinn was set to arrive did not work out in her favor; however, as she found herself face to face with Brody outside her dance classroom. She had finished packing up her bag and was walking out of the classroom, debating going to Starbucks before getting on the subway, when she'd felt a hand grab her wrist. She had immediately turned, having a sense of who it was, and found her suspicion to be confirmed when she looked up into Brody's blue eyes.

"Hello, Brody, if you don't mind I have a train to catch. It's very important that I get home as soon as possible." She tried pulling her wrist from Brody's grasp, and while he wasn't holding it too tightly or hurting her, she still was unable to move.

"You've never been in such a hurry to get home after class before. Normally you're always staying late to practice, especially after dance class. I know how Cassie can be toward you. I'll let you go, no questions asked, if you just tell me one thing. What's going on, Rachel? Every time you see me in the hallway you turn and run in the other direction."

She bit her lip, not sure how to respond to him. Did she have a right to be angry with him for what he had done? They hadn't been dating, although she had thought she had made it clear that she was interested in him. The fact that it was Cassie was enough to make his actions deplorable, especially because he was fully aware of all of the issues she had with her dance teacher. "I have nothing to say to you, Brody. If you were looking for Miss July you won't find her in the classroom, she already left, most likely to have her mid-afternoon cocktail."

Brody looked slightly surprised at her words. "No, Rachel, I was hoping to talk with you. Is that what this is about? How did you find out about that, anyway?"

"I called you that night to try to talk to you, and she answered your phone while you were in the shower and filled me in on what happened. I understand that there was nothing between us, but I am appalled that you would choose her of all people to sleep with." She glared up at him, frustrated that he just wouldn't let her go home.

"Rachel, I'm sorry, but you went home to see your ex-boyfriend. Cassie asked me to help her with some things for class, and one thing led to another. Why are you so upset about this? We aren't dating. We're adults, things like this happen."

"I'm upset because you know how much I can't stand her!" she said, yanking her arm from his grasp, finally. "Goodbye, Brody, I have to get home now." She turned and stormed off, hearing Brody call after her, but Rachel had had years of practice storming away from people. When she was satisfied that Brody wasn't following her, she decided to go to Starbucks after all, thinking a soy frappuccino was just what she needed.

That night, as she lay in her bed, she couldn't help but think about Quinn's visit. While they had kept in communication, their interactions had been very short and to the point. Rachel would tell Quinn about her classes and any roles she was trying out for, while Quinn would talk about Yale's campus and how different college classes were from high school. They'd both made a point to avoid mentioning other people, which Rachel had assumed was to keep from talking about Finn and the almost-wedding, but now she wondered if Quinn had other motives as well. Quinn was the prettiest girl Rachel had ever met, it was extremely likely that she had met someone at Yale. Rachel wasn't entirely sure why, but there was something about thinking about Quinn dating some nameless, faceless boy that bothered her. It certainly wasn't any of her business who Quinn chose to spend her time with, yet for some reason she found herself hoping that Quinn was single.

The following afternoon when she was looking at a map of Manhattan, trying to decide what Quinn might like to see, her phone buzzed, indicating she had received a text message. Unsure who would be contacting her at this time (had Kurt forgotten his keys again?) she picked up the phone, smiling when she saw Quinn's name on the screen.

_I'm all finished with my paper and exam. I'm planning on taking the 1:53 PM train; it arrives in New York at 3:41. Does that work for you?_

Rachel immediately typed a response back that it was fine, and that she'd be waiting when Quinn arrived. It was really happening, Quinn was actually going to come visit her. Her phone buzzed again, and she bent to look at the new message Quinn had sent.

_Great, I'll see you Friday afternoon. Have a good rest of your week, Rachel._

The rest of Wednesday and Thursday passed entirely too slowly for Rachel. She drove Kurt crazy cleaning the apartment, even though it certainly hadn't been messy before. He reminded her that it was just Quinn visiting, not the Queen of England, and he had given her a slightly amused look when she insisted that Quinn was just as important and everything needed to be perfect for her. She wasn't sure how to interpret that, but simply went back to Swiffering the floor for the third time that day. Predictably, she couldn't sleep Thursday night, and spent most of the night wondering how different Quinn was since the last time they had seen one another. She had finally drifted off to sleep around 2 in the morning, and when her alarm went off four hours later for her morning work-out she'd had to drag herself out of bed, feeling completely exhausted. She would need so many coffees to make it through her class that morning. The morning dragged on and on, and she decided to go home and nap for a couple hours before she had to pick Quinn up from her train.

Two hours later, feeling slightly refreshed but still incredibly tired, Rachel was putting the finishing touches on her make-up before it was time to get Quinn. Quinn hadn't seen her new look yet, and she hoped the other girl would like the way she dressed now. Rachel glanced down at the dress she was wearing, picked out by Kurt, and decided that there wasn't time to change now. Her subway ride north was filled with anxiety, and finally, she was standing in the train station waiting for Quinn. She glanced at her watch continually, wondering if the train was late, hoping she hadn't missed the other girl. As she checked the time again, she heard an incredibly familiar voice call out, "Rachel!"

Rachel turned quickly, and her face lit up when she saw who had called her name. Quinn stood about twenty feet away from her, holding onto a suitcase and looking as beautiful as ever. She had grown her blonde hair out slightly, but otherwise in her skirt and blouse she looked exactly how Rachel had remembered her. Rachel hesitated for a few seconds before running to Quinn and throwing her arms around her friend, unable to believe how much she had missed her. Quinn made a slight noise of surprise, but returned the hug, much to Rachel's relief. As she stepped back, she grinned up at the other girl, so happy that she was finally there. "How was your trip? Was the train okay? Are you tired? I thought we could go back to my apartment first to drop off your things and let you relax for a little bit in case you're tired from the train ride. I didn't make any reservations or specific plans for tonight because I wasn't sure how you'd be feeling, but we can do whatever you'd like." She paused at Quinn's slight eyebrow raise, realizing that she was rambling like she was apt to do. "Sorry," she said, smiling through her embarrassment.

"It's fine, Rach. It's actually a relief to see that not that much has changed from high school. We can go back to your apartment first and then figure out what we want to do from there."

Rachel nodded and directed Quinn to follow her, taking her to the nearest subway stop. The ride to Bushwick was fairly quiet, with Quinn watching the people on the train around them and Rachel trying not to start rambling again. When they finally made it to her apartment she eagerly showed Quinn around, telling her to make herself at home. Quinn was really there. In her apartment. If 15-year-old Rachel Berry had been asked if this moment would ever happen, she would have laughed and wondered if the person asking was not entirely there. But now, just three years later, Quinn was standing in her apartment and telling Rachel she was fine with whatever they did that day.

"Would you be okay with maybe going somewhere for coffee to start out? It'd give us a chance to figure out what we'd like to do with the rest of the day, and you'd get to see a bit of the city."

Quinn smiled and nodded at Rachel. "Rachel, remember, you live here, not me. I'm perfectly fine with doing whatever you want. I'm here to visit you, not the city."

_I'm here to visit you, not the city. _She didn't know why that simple sentence made her unbelievably happy, but all the anxiety she had been feeling was suddenly gone. "Is Starbucks okay?"

"Starbucks is fine. I'll grab my coat."

Rachel grinned as she watched Quinn go retrieve her coat from where they'd previously hung it, suddenly feeling much more positive about the weekend ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

While Rachel thoroughly appreciated her neighborhood most days, particularly when she was writing out her rent check at the beginning of each month, she couldn't help but feel frustration toward where she lived on occasions like this one. There was not a single Starbucks in Bushwick. There were plenty of Dunkin Donuts, but those weren't exactly conducive to conversation with a friend one hasn't seen in months. Normally, if Rachel wanted Starbucks, she'd get it while she was at school in Manhattan, where there was a store on what seemed like every corner sometimes. In order to get to Starbucks, they'd either need to go into Manhattan or walk nearly four miles to get to the nearest store in their borough. Even though it would involve backtracking slightly, Rachel decided they may as well go into lower Manhattan. She could show Quinn more of the city that way, and if they decided they wanted to go somewhere else in the city, they'd be well set up with all sorts of public transportation options.

As the two of them walked toward the nearest 'J' train stop, Rachel couldn't help but glance at Quinn out of the corner of her eye. It was strange seeing Quinn with longer hair again, considering she had gotten so used to seeing the blonde with short hair since the end of their junior year. College seemed to have suited Quinn well, because the other girl looked happy. She had always been beautiful, but Rachel almost thought Quinn looked even better than she had remembered, if that was possible. At that thought she bit her lip and looked back ahead of herself, concentrating on the sidewalk in front of her. Quinn was her friend, she shouldn't be having those kinds of thoughts about the other girl. Even though they were friendly thoughts, considering Rachel was just noticing her friend now that they were together. Still, there was something about her thoughts that made her feel slightly guilty, and she was relieved when they reached the station.

"I thought we'd go into Manhattan for Starbucks? We can decide what we want to do from there, but we'll have the most options if we're there." Rachel looked to see Quinn's reaction, not quite sure if that would be okay.

To her relief, Quinn smiled. "That's fine, Rach. You know your way around much better than I do."

The two headed down into the station, and Rachel was happy she had chosen to buy Quinn a Metro Pass for the subway, since it seemed like they'd be taking it a lot that weekend. A train pulled up fairly quickly, and both girls boarded. They didn't say much to one another while on the train, as Quinn was studying the people around them, and Rachel was trying her best to figure out how Quinn was feeling about everything. When it was finally their stop, Rachel tapped Quinn's arm to let her know they needed to get off, slightly surprised at the spark she felt when her fingertips made contact with the blonde's skin. They walked back out into the street, blinking slightly as they came into contact with the sunlight.

"This is SoHo," Rachel said, motioning around them. "There's a Starbucks not too far from here, and then we can figure out what we want to do after that. We're fairly close to the Financial district, or we could keep going north to see other things, like Greenwich Village."

Quinn nodded, and Rachel watched the other girl's hazel eyes take in their surroundings. She turned and started leading the way to the Starbucks, checking to make sure Quinn was following every once in a while. When they reached the store she pushed the door open for both of them, smiling at Quinn as she followed her into the shop. There was a slight line, but it wasn't too crowded, which was a relief. Rachel hadn't been sure what kind of crowd there would be, especially on a Friday afternoon, but they wouldn't have any problem getting a table. When they reached the front of the line, Rachel turned to Quinn and said, "You can get whatever you want, I'm paying. Especially since you came all the way down here this time."

Quinn started to protest, but finally gave in, smiling slightly. "When you come visit me in New Haven I will have to buy you coffee."

Rachel couldn't help the smile that crossed her face, and turned to place her order, opting for a soy chai tea latte. Quinn ordered a blonde roast, without room (Rachel found it slightly amusing that Quinn opted for the blonde roast) and the two waited until their drinks were ready before sitting down. She watched as Quinn took a few sips of her drink before asking any questions. "Quinn, how is everything with you? How do you like New Haven? I've heard a great deal about your classes, but you didn't really tell me anything else."

Quinn took another sip of her coffee before putting it down, smiling at Rachel. "New Haven is wonderful. I'm very happy at Yale. My roommate and I get along quite well, and I really enjoy the classes I'm taking, which you know. I didn't know I'd like my psychology class as much as I do, but I'm thinking I may double major and have that be one of the options. I'm leaning toward English as well; I've always enjoyed reading. I didn't try out for a play this semester, since I was trying to get acclimated, but next semester I'm planning on it."

Rachel nodded, noting that Quinn's eyes lit up slightly as she spoke about her classes and how much she liked Yale. Still, she hadn't answered the question that was nagging her the most. "Classes are wonderful and all, Quinn, but what has your social life been like? Have you met anyone special? Any boys that would make Puck jealous?"

Quinn arched her eyebrow slightly at her, and Rachel wondered if she had overstepped her bounds slightly. "No, I haven't met any boys. I haven't really been looking. When I've gone to parties it's been with friends, and I'm usually careful enough that it's a nonissue. What about you? You haven't mentioned Finn in any of your emails lately."

Rachel wasn't sure how to interpret that comment, but felt better hearing that Quinn hadn't met anyone. She still wasn't sure why she cared who the blonde dated, but she knew she would have been slightly unhappy to hear Quinn was with someone. It was a strange thought to have, and she concentrated instead on Quinn's question. "Finn and I ended things officially a few weeks ago. It's for the best, I think. I'll still always love him, but after the way he's acted these past few months, not contacting me for over four months, and then showing up at my doorstep and acting the way he did, I don't think we should be together. I think that really became apparent to me when I was in Lima most recently. I thought there was a boy at my school, Brody, who something might happen with, but he slept with my dance instructor while I was in Lima, so he's no longer an option either." That had been slightly long-winded, and she blushed at the look Quinn was giving her.

"Rachel, I'm sure you'll find someone wonderful. You're in New York City, there are so many options. The important thing is that you're here, following your dream. The rest will all follow."

She nodded, feeling slightly disappointed at Quinn's comment, although she wasn't entirely sure why. The two sat and finished their drinks, discussing what it was like to be so far from Lima and their classmates that they still kept in touch with. It was strange to think about everyone spread out all over the country, but Rachel was happy as many of them had gotten out of Lima as possible. When they finished their drinks, Rachel wasn't entirely sure what they should do next, deciding to ask Quinn what she wanted.

"Well, I'd like to see NYADA, if it isn't too far from here. You've talked so much about your school, and I think a visual to go along with what you've told me would be nice. If it's too far we can go another day, but I'd like to see it before I leave."

"No, Quinn, it isn't too far at all. We can walk there fairly easily. Are you ready to go now?" She was surprised by Quinn's request, but it was nice that the other girl was interested in her school. Honestly, Rachel was excited to show Quinn where she took classes. They set off north, making their way toward Greenwich Village and NYADA. The weather was still fairly nice for early November, a fact Rachel was grateful for, considering it could have been much worse. They were quiet during the walk, Quinn taking in their surroundings and Rachel trying to figure out if Quinn was enjoying herself. When they reached NYADA she swiped her student ID and let them both in, showing Quinn all of her classrooms, particularly the dance room. The round room was unfortunately locked, because she would have really liked Quinn to have seen that.

"I'll just have to come back when you perform in a showcase," she said, much to Rachel's surprise. Quinn was willing to come back and see her perform? It made her feel immensely better, knowing that she had the support of both her best friends, and she desperately hoped she'd be able to perform in a showcase eventually. As they continued walking around the building, Rachel noticed Quinn yawning every once in a while and looking slightly tired.

"How about we head home soon and just get take-out for dinner? There are some good restaurants near my apartment."

Quinn nodded, letting Rachel know that was fine, and both girls left the building, ready to go back to Bushwick. After their subway ride they stopped in a restaurant that Rachel and Kurt frequented, with them each ordering a pad thai, Quinn basing her choice off Rachel's strong recommendation. Dinner was quiet and uneventful, and Rachel kept apologizing for not being a more entertaining hostess.

"It's okay, Rach. Remember, I'm here to visit you. It's just the first night. We still have plenty of time, and I can always come back."

Those words never failed to make Rachel feel better, and after dinner both girls settled in to watch TV, flipping through the channels aimlessly. Kurt arrived home while they were watching, having been at Vogue late, and he came over to talk to both of them about his internship. Quinn was interested in what he did and what it was like working for a magazine, and Rachel watched them interact happily, liking that her friends were getting along so well.

She must have drifted off at some point, because she woke to Quinn softly saying her name and a soft hand on her shoulder. Rachel blinked sleepily up at the blonde, and Quinn smiled at her and said that it was probably time for them to call it a night. She glanced around the apartment and noticed Kurt was gone, he was probably already in bed. "You can have the bathroom first," she said, yawning. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight, you can have my room."

"Rachel, you don't have to sleep out here. We can share, it's fine. I'll go get ready now, okay?"

She watched as Quinn got up and walked away, slightly surprised that the other girl was willing for them both to share her room. She felt nervous for some strange reason, which made absolutely no sense. They were friends. She had shared a bed numerous times with Kurt and Mercedes during their sleepovers, so sharing with Quinn should be no different. Rachel waited patiently for Quinn to finish before using the bathroom, going through a shortened version of her nightly routine. Quinn was already in bed when she finished, reading a book before sleeping. Rachel hesitantly climbed in next to her, not wanting to take up too much space.

She heard Quinn put the book down on the table next to the bed, and she realized that meant Quinn wanted to go to sleep. "Goodnight, Quinn," she said, reaching over to turn out the light next to the bed.

"Night, Rach," Quinn answered, and Rachel felt the bed shift slightly as Quinn laid down. Rachel laid awake, unable to fall asleep, and listened as Quinn's breathing gradually evened out. The other girl had no problem falling asleep, so why was she lying awake like this? She cursed herself mentally for making a bigger deal out of this than it was, and tried running through all her strategies for falling asleep. She finally found herself drifting off when she was going through her Tony acceptance speech for the third time, and she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and is following this story so far! I greatly appreciate reviews, as this is my first time writing Faberry.

Years of waking up early had trained Rachel to wake up at almost the same time every day, even on weekends. She usually appreciated the early start to her day; it enabled her to start accomplishing things right away, most often her morning workout. Opening her eyes slowly, she took in her surroundings, waking fully with a start. Somehow during the night she and Quinn had shifted so that they were lying extremely close together, nearly touching. Rachel couldn't help but notice how beautiful Quinn looked lying there, extremely peaceful as she slept. The realization of how awkward this would be for both of them if Quinn woke up in that moment spurred Rachel into action, and she slowly moved out of the bed. Standing up slowly, she looked back to make sure Quinn hadn't stirred, and breathed a slight sigh of relief when she saw Quinn still deeply asleep.

Quietly, Rachel walked out into the main living space. She was the first one awake, as usual, so she made her way over to the coffee maker and started brewing a pot. While she waited for it to finish, she felt her mind drifting back to what had just happened. She and Quinn were friends. Friends were affectionate with one another. Friends had sleepovers and shared beds all the time, look at her and Kurt. What had happened wasn't a big deal, and was just a normal part of being friends. She was able to dismiss the thoughts for the time being, and concentrated instead on the coffee that had just finished brewing.

An hour and a half later, Rachel had drunk two cups of coffee, completed her morning workout, and had taken a shower. Kurt and Quinn still hadn't woken up yet, much to Rachel's surprise. Kurt had been working longer hours lately, so it wasn't entirely unexpected that he was still sleeping, but she had honestly thought Quinn would have been up by now. Rachel sat down on the couch and began reviewing a script for her acting class, losing herself in the character completely.

"Morning, Rach," a voice said from behind her, and Rachel turned immediately. Quinn was standing a few feet behind the couch, looking somewhat tired and not fully awake. She was still in the shirt and shorts she had worn to bed, and her hair was slightly messy. Rachel smiled at her friend, putting her script down so she could get her coffee or whatever she needed.

"Good morning, Quinn! How did you sleep? Would you like any coffee or breakfast? I can make you whatever you'd like, but we also have cereal. Or if there's something else you wanted I could always run out to the store, it's not a problem at all."

Quinn grinned at her, and Rachel bit her lip, realizing she was rambling. "I forgot what a morning person you are. Coffee's fine. I slept very well, thank you." Quinn went and sat down at their table, and Rachel pulled out a mug and poured Quinn a cup of the coffee. She set it in front of the blonde with a smile, pulling out a chair for herself.

"I'm not sure what you'd like to do today, but we can do whatever you'd like. The weather is supposed to be okay, so we could do something outside. Or we can go to a museum, New York has many amazing ones. We'll likely have to take the subway wherever we end up going, but I've learned the routes by now and can direct us to wherever you'd like to visit."

Quinn raised an eyebrow at her over her coffee cup, and Rachel realized she was rambling again. "Rach, honestly, I'm fine with whatever you'd like to do. But if you really don't want to choose, I suppose going to a museum would be nice. I've heard the Met is one I should see."

Rachel nodded back at Quinn. "We could go there, definitely. We'll have to transfer trains, but it shouldn't take us an overly long time to get there. We won't be able to see the entire thing in one day; the museum is enormous. We could get a good start though."

The blonde nodded at her, taking another sip of her coffee. "Well, I'm planning on visiting again, so we can always go back."

Rachel smiled at Quinn's reassurance that she was going to visit again, happy that her friend was enjoying herself. "Would you like to get ready, and then we can get going? I set out some clean towels for you to use this morning, and you can borrow anything you need from me. I'll go ahead and check a subway map so I can figure out just where we need to go to get there."

"That's fine, Rachel. Thank you for thinking of me this morning. I'll try not to be too long." Quinn put her mug in the sink and then walked back over to Rachel's room. Rachel began rinsing their mugs out before washing them, not wanting to leave them for Kurt to deal with whenever he woke up that day.

As Rachel finished putting the mugs away, she saw Kurt come out into the main living space from his room. She poured him a cup of coffee before filling him in on her plans for the day. She offered for Kurt to come with them, but he said that he wanted to stay at home and plan for his NYADA audition while the apartment was quiet. Rachel pretended to get mad at him, but was secretly happy she'd have the day with Quinn to herself. Kurt was her best friend and she loved spending time with him, but she wanted to spend time with the blonde alone.

Before she had time to think further on this, Quinn came back out of her room, completely ready. She was wearing a dress with an unbuttoned cardigan, and Kurt complimented her on her outfit. "Ready, Rach?" Quinn asked. Rachel nodded, she was all too happy to get going with their day together.

The day passed rather quickly. Rachel followed Quinn around the museum while the other girl looked at various paintings. Rachel normally enjoyed looking at art, but for some reason that day she found herself more focused on what Quinn thought of the paintings. The blonde would stand in front of each one, her hazel eyes taking in all the details, and Rachel would find herself wondering what the other girl was thinking. After a few minutes of doing this, Quinn would move onto the next painting, and the same thing would happen again. Both girls didn't talk much throughout the day, but Rachel wanted to give Quinn the time and space to see everything she wanted.

They spent so much time in the museum they forgot to have lunch, and when they were finally forced to leave because the museum was closing Rachel found herself slightly surprised. Had they really lost track of time that much? She apologized profusely to Quinn because all the other girl had had that day was a cup of coffee, and Quinn kept assuring her it was alright. Rachel wasn't exactly sure where they could eat dinner, considering they were on the Upper East Side.

"What would you like to do for dinner?" she asked, hoping Quinn would suggest something so she could at least use her iPhone to try to help make a decision.

Quinn glanced at her, the blonde had been studying the area around the museum. "If it's alright with you, I'm kind of tired, so I'd be completely fine with something simple. We don't need to go out or do anything fancy."

Rachel nodded, slightly relieved that they could just go home and pick something up. "I'll call Kurt and ask if he'd like something too." Kurt was perfectly alright with them ordering some sort of take out, and he even offered to go pick it up for them. They decided to go with one of the restaurants near them that happened to have a few vegan options for Rachel, and he told her he'd have the food waiting when they both returned home.

Dinner was a fairly quiet affair. Kurt seemed somewhat tired from rehearsing all day, and Rachel knew her roommate was incredibly nervous about his upcoming audition. He asked a bit about their time at the museum, and Quinn talked about the paintings she had liked, saying that she planned on taking an art history class at some point during her time at Yale.

After dinner, clean-up went quickly, considering they mainly had to throw out boxes. Kurt went back into his room to work on some of his ideas for Vogue, leaving Rachel and Quinn in the living room alone. Quinn suggested they maybe watch a movie, offering to watch "Funny Girl" since she had never seen it before. Rachel was slightly surprised by Quinn's suggestion, but she could never turn down an opportunity to watch Barbra. She set up the movie, encouraging Quinn to sit down, before joining Quinn on the couch.

"This is going to be an extremely educational opportunity, Quinn. This is one of Barbra's most iconic roles, and I am certain you won't be disappointed. I've been viewing this film ever since I can remember, and I still enjoy it every single time."

Quinn grinned at her. "I never would have guessed you like this movie, Rachel," she said, the playful tone in her voice letting Rachel know she was teasing. Quinn picked up the blanket Rachel had left on the couch the day before and spread it over both girls, much to Rachel's surprise.

Rachel became enthralled in the movie as usual, and was surprised to find Quinn asleep on her shoulder when the movie ended. Her first reaction was to wake Quinn up, but the other girl looked so peaceful that Rachel didn't want to wake her. She sat very still, trying not to fixate on the fact that Quinn was leaning on her. She wondered if she should just stay like that for the entire night, or if it would be better to wake Quinn after a little bit.

"No, Dad, I haven't spoken with Finn recently. I've been busy with work and trying to prepare for my audition in a few weeks." Rachel stiffened as she heard Kurt come out of his room on the phone, realizing that Quinn wouldn't be able to sleep through the added noise.

Quinn sat up instantly at the sound of Kurt's voice, and Kurt mouthed an apology at both of them. He grabbed a bottle of water and disappeared back into his room, and Quinn looked around, blinking sleepily. "How long was I asleep for?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, I just noticed when the movie ended. I don't think for very long." She couldn't help the feeling of slight disappointment that Quinn had woken up, but realized that this solved her dilemma of what to do.

Quinn stood up and stretched, glancing down at Rachel and smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry I fell asleep, I think I was just so tired that I couldn't help it."

Rachel grinned up at her. "I'll forgive you for falling asleep on Barbra for tonight. Next time I won't be so forgiving, so be ready for the next Barbra movie we watch."

Quinn nodded and yawned again. "I think I'm going to get ready for bed. Thank you for today, Rachel." The blonde made her way back to Rachel's room, and Rachel stood and began straightening up the apartment. She folded the blanket back up and put her DVD back, waiting until she heard Quinn finish in the bathroom.

When she had finally finished getting ready she walked quietly into her room. Quinn was already asleep, and Rachel smiled at the girl before turning off the light. "Goodnight, Quinn," she whispered, before climbing into bed, making sure to situate herself as far from her friend as possible so they wouldn't have a repeat of that morning.


	5. Chapter 5

When Rachel woke up the following morning, she hesitantly opened her eyes, slightly afraid to see if she and Quinn had drifted close to one another again. She was greeted with the peacefully sleeping blonde's face close enough to reach out and touch, and just as she had the day before, she gently climbed out of bed and went to start the morning coffee. It was strange that they had moved toward one another again. Maybe she needed to check the thermostat, perhaps it was just cold in their apartment. It would make sense that the two would unconsciously move toward something warm in their sleep, especially if it was cold. She made her way over to the thermostat, frowning when she saw that it was set at the same temperature as always.

As she sat and drank her coffee she sighed, realizing that Quinn would be leaving that afternoon to go back to New Haven. She had enjoyed having her friend there, and two days really wasn't enough time for them to see one another. Rachel wasn't exactly sure when they could see each other again, considering the end of the semester was approaching. They would both have exams, and their end of term work would likely keep them too busy to see one another. The Winter Showcase was also coming up, and Rachel knew she'd be spending most of her time preparing for that in case she was selected. Not that she expected to be, as a lowly freshman, but it was still a nice thought.

An hour later, after she had done her workout and shower, she stood in front of her dresser in a robe, trying to decide what to wear. She needed to do laundry soon, considering most of her newer clothes were dirty. Finally settling on a sweater and skirt, she jumped when she heard a familiar voice say, "Good morning, Rachel."

Rachel turned slowly, blushing that she was only wearing a robe. She wasn't sure why she was embarrassed; she had had to change in front of Quinn all throughout high school gym class. Not to mention when they had shared hotel rooms at Nationals both junior and senior year. But for some reason she was extremely self-conscious standing like this in front of the blonde, and she clutched her clothes tightly to her chest. "Good morning, Quinn," she said, smiling. "I made coffee again. Would you like me to bring you a cup?"

Quinn sat up and stretched, shaking her head. "No, you finish getting ready. I remember where the mugs are." Quinn yawned and climbed out of the bed, and Rachel couldn't help but smile at the way the blonde's hair was messy from sleep. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she went back into the bathroom to change into her clothes for the day. She found Quinn sitting at the kitchen table sipping her coffee, and she sat down next to her.

"I thought maybe we could go into Manhattan for brunch before your train leaves?" That way they wouldn't have to worry about the subway right before her train since they'd already be downtown. "There are a number of places we could go in Midtown. Is that okay with you?"

Quinn nodded. "That sounds good, Rach. I'm going to finish this and then I'll go get ready. As much as I don't want to leave, I have some reading for my psychology class I need to finish." She sipped the rest of her coffee and went and set the mug in the sink, before heading back into Rachel's room.

A little over an hour later, Quinn was ready to go. Rachel left a note for Kurt so he knew where they had gone, and both girls set out for the subway. They walked in silence toward the train, Rachel not sure what to say, and Quinn watching the neighborhood around them. When they finally reached Midtown, Rachel realized their time together really was almost over. "Is there anything in particular you'd like?"

Quinn smiled and shook her head. "No. I'll go wherever. I'm pretty easy-going."

They ended up going to a nearby deli café, where Rachel could eat a salad, and Quinn could enjoy a breakfast sandwich with bacon. Rachel grinned when she saw that the blonde still carried her preference for bacon, and Quinn merely smiled and stuck her tongue out at her. "Don't lecture me on the benefits of being vegan, Rach. I'm not going to ever give up bacon."

"Quinn, I just think if you tried facon once you'd be pleasantly surprised. It's quite delicious."

Quinn rolled her eyes and went back to eating her sandwich, and Rachel laughed. Some things would never change.

When they had finished their meal they made their way back to the station, Rachel feeling sadder by the second. They were a bit early for Quinn's train, so they sat on a bench and waited. "Did you have fun this weekend?"

Quinn looked up from the schedule she was holding, turning and smiling at Rachel. "Of course I did. Thank you for asking me to visit, Rachel. I'm really happy I got to see you and New York. You'll have to come visit me in New Haven, because I certainly plan on coming back here."

Rachel opened her mouth to respond as Quinn's train was announced. She bit her lip, realizing this was it. They both stood up, and Quinn turned to look at Rachel. "I'm going to hug you now, okay?" Rachel said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Quinn's shoulders. She sighed and breathed in Quinn's perfume as the other girl wrapped her arms around Rachel as well, and Rachel didn't want to let go. But Quinn needed to board her train, so reluctantly, Rachel untangled her arms and told Quinn goodbye.

The subway ride back to her apartment was depressing. She wasn't sure why Quinn's leaving was impacting her so much, but she was going to miss having the blonde around. When she got back to her apartment Kurt was sitting on the couch, typing away on his laptop. "Is Quinn on her way back to Yale?"

Rachel nodded, going to get a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. "Yes. We went and had brunch, and now she's on the train. It was nice to see her."

Kurt didn't respond for a few seconds, typing something else out. Rachel went to sit next to him on the couch, not wanting to start on her homework just yet. She put her feet up on the coffee table and sighed, hating how sad she felt.

"I'm sorry I was so loud on the phone last night. I feel like I interrupted a moment."

Rachel's eyes went wide and she turned to look at Kurt, who was still looking at his computer. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You and Miss Fabray, curled up underneath a blanket together. Her asleep on your shoulder. It looked like a bit of a moment to me."

Rachel felt her face flushing. "No, Quinn just fell asleep. She was tired from all the walking around. You didn't interrupt anything." What was Kurt trying to hint at?

"Okay. It just looked like a bit more than that. Whatever you say."

"Quinn and I are _friends_, Kurt," she said, hating the tone her voice was taking on while she spoke. "Friends can be affectionate with one another." She stood up and went into her room, not wanting to invite any more discussion of the topic.

She paced around her room for some time, trying to figure out why Kurt had brought that up. He knew she was straight, and so was Quinn. Both of them had had enough boyfriends over the years to prove that point. Hadn't Kurt been witness to Rachel throwing herself at Finn for the entirety of their high school career? He was reading too much into things. Just because they were both in college now didn't mean their sexual orientations had changed. Scowling, Rachel grabbed her iPod and put her headphones in, trying to let the music drown out all the conflicting emotions she was experiencing in the moment. Kurt had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, and if he ever brought it up again, she would not hesitate in letting him know that.


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel avoided Kurt for the rest of the evening, not leaving her room for any circumstances whatsoever. At one point she heard him knock on her door and ask to talk to her, but she simply turned up her headphones and pretended not to hear him. She didn't want to discuss the matter further, even if Kurt was going to apologize. Around dinnertime she heard her phone, alerting her that she had a text message, and she picked it up hesitantly. Kurt wouldn't resort to texting, would he? She smiled when she saw Quinn's name appear on her screen.

_Hi Rach, I made it back to New Haven safely. I just walked into my dorm room. Thanks so much for letting me come stay with you this weekend._

She hadn't asked Quinn to text her when she got back to Yale, but it made her feel much better that Quinn had arrived safely. The added note of thanks was another plus, and Rachel happily typed out a response. _Glad you made it back. Hopefully you can come visit again soon. _

Her phone went off again almost instantly. _You could come to New Haven. I've heard it's wonderful in the winter. But if you make the Winter Showcase, I will be sure to come see you perform._

Quinn actually wanted her to visit? She was surprised, but wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to see Quinn. _I'd like that. Let me know when you're available. The showcase is the third weekend in December._

_I finish my finals the second Friday in December. Would you be able to visit that weekend? My roommate will have already gone home, so one of us won't have to sleep on the floor._

Rachel glanced at her calendar, knowing she wouldn't be quite done with her finals yet. Her only actual exam was before that weekend, and all the rest of her finals were performance based. As long as she was able to practice at some point on that Saturday, she'd be able to go to New Haven. _Is there somewhere I could practice on Saturday? I don't think your neighbors would take too kindly to my practicing for my Voice final._

_There's a music practice room in my dorm. I'm sure I could check out the key for you. Does that work?_

Rachel grinned, knowing she'd be going to New Haven and seeing Quinn now. _Perfectly. I'll let you know what train I will be on when it gets closer._

_Great. _

Satisfied that she'd be able to visit Quinn, Rachel decided that she should probably do some more reading for one of her classes. She settled in with her textbook for the rest of the night, trying to learn as much as she could about the history of musical theater.

The next morning, she had forgiven Kurt for his comment, deciding that he had simply made an incorrect assumption. They didn't interact much, considering Kurt was usually rushing out the door when she normally finished getting ready, but she told him to have a good day. He'd looked at her slightly surprised, but wished her the same before leaving.

She was in a surprisingly good mood for the rest of the day, not even getting upset when she saw Brody in the hallway at school. For the first time since she had made the phone call to him and gotten Cassie instead, she didn't feel like running away. She was able to walk past him, and while she certainly didn't acknowledge him, it felt good to be able to walk by without wanting to run away. Her classes passed uneventfully, and before she knew it she was on the train back to her apartment. Kurt wasn't home yet, which wasn't a surprise, considering the long hours he put in some days, and she stretched out on the couch to try and enjoy some solitude. As much as she enjoyed living with Kurt, sometimes it was nice to have her own space. She had been fairly spoiled growing up, considering she had been an only child. She had never had to share anything, and if she needed to be alone, she could shut herself away in her bedroom. While she had her own room in the loft, it wasn't the same.

Rachel had almost fallen asleep when she heard the text message sound, and she sat up immediately to see who it was. It was her dad, and she saw that he was asking about her travel plans for Thanksgiving. She hadn't really put a lot of thought into the upcoming holiday, but she didn't have a strong urge to return to Lima. Even if Quinn would be there. The last visit had shown her just how much New York was her home now, and she didn't feel like repeating that experience. Besides, Quinn would probably be busy seeing Brittany and Santana, and she wouldn't get to see her at all.

She texted her dad back that she was still deciding, and he immediately called her to remind her that plane tickets were only going to become more expensive the longer she waited. Rachel sighed and told him she'd talk to Kurt about it later that evening, when she had no intention of doing any such thing. It seemed to mollify her dad, and he told her to have a good night and to let him know if she needed help buying her plane ticket. She felt slightly guilty about lying at that point, but decided she still hadn't made a decision.

Would it be worth it to even see if Quinn was going to be available? When she thought about it, she realized she'd only be in Lima four or five days at the most, and one of them was an obligatory family day. She was sure if she and Kurt went home he'd drag her to any and all Black Friday sales they could hit, which eliminated another day. Standing up and stepping away from the couch, she decided it would be best to have dinner and work on some schoolwork before making too many decisions.

Kurt arrived home when she had finally finished reading two chapters of her textbook, and he looked tired and frustrated. She hesitantly went and sat down at the kitchen table with him, wondering if she should ask him what was wrong or if she should act like everything was fine. He ended up making the decision for her.

"Blaine has been texting me all day. I don't know what he expects me to do. He certainly hasn't gotten the message that I don't want to hear it. You'd think this long string of unreturned texts and calls would help him get the picture, but apparently that's just too complicated for him."

Well, that explained why Kurt looked so upset. "I'm sorry," she said, reaching across the table and touching his hand lightly. He looked back at her, slightly confused, but must have decided not to comment. Kurt stood back up and began making himself dinner, and Rachel sat at the table and waited to ask him about Thanksgiving. Once Kurt had sat back down, she decided to broach the question. "Kurt, were you thinking of staying in New York for Thanksgiving this year?"

He glanced at her, blue eyes taking everything in as he drank his water. Placing the glass back on the table, she watched as he paused, seemingly in thought. "Well, I know my dad will be unhappy if I don't come home. But he understands how expensive airfare is. I don't know. The idea of being back in Lima, when it took so much for me to come here, and the possibility of having to see Blaine, well, none of it seems appealing."

She nodded, understanding completely. "My dad called earlier and asked what I was thinking about it. I don't really want to be back in Lima either, but I know my dads will be hurt if I don't come home. There aren't really that many people that I want to see, and we'd be there for such a short time who knows if I'd see them anyway."

Kurt, who had finished his dinner at this point, stood up and walked over to the sink with his dishes. "Well, what are Miss Fabray's plans? I assume she's one of the people you'd like to see."

Rachel felt something flare inside of her again, but she tried to keep it at bay. What was with Kurt and asking about Quinn? What exactly was he implying? "I don't know what Quinn's plans are, but I'm sure she's going back to Lima. She'll probably want to see Brittany and Santana." The stab of disappointment at that statement hurt, but she knew she needed to admit the truth to herself.

"What makes you think she wouldn't want to see you? She came all the way down here from New Haven and spent a weekend with you. People who don't want to see someone else generally don't do things like that."

Rachel bit her lip, glancing down at the table, anything to avoid the way Kurt was looking at her in that moment. "I just need to let my dads know, so they can make plans. They'll have to come pick me up at the airport if I do end up going home. But they know I don't want to leave you here by yourself."

"I can let you know tomorrow. I just need some time to think about it. If we do go, you're going Black Friday shopping with me. I need to monitor any and all clothing purchases you make."

Rachel let herself smile at that statement, happy that some things hadn't changed. "I'm going to go read and then get ready for bed. Goodnight, Kurt," she said, standing up and leaving the table. Kurt wished her goodnight as well, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being out of sorts until she had shut her door behind her. Just what was Kurt getting at, with his constant questions about Quinn? It was very, very strange. Kurt and Quinn had never been particularly close, and Rachel couldn't think of any reason why he would want to encourage her to foster a relationship with the blonde former cheerleader. After struggling with her book for some time, she decided it was pointless, and went to get ready for bed. She had too many thoughts going on to be able to concentrate, and sleeping on her decision would be the best way to come to a conclusion about her travel plans. She turned out the light and climbed into bed, finally falling into a restless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

When Rachel woke up the following morning, she felt frustratingly exhausted, almost as if she hadn't slept at all. Getting herself on her elliptical was incredibly difficult, and she stumbled through her morning routine with much less care than normal. Her thoughts were mainly concentrated around the issue she had fallen asleep thinking about, whether or not she would go home for Thanksgiving. She hasn't reached a conclusion yet, and her father had sent her a text message that morning wanting to know what her plans were. As she was getting her bag together before leaving, Kurt finally emerged from his room.

"Kurt? Have you thought any more about what you'd like to do about Thanksgiving?"

He glanced over at her, his face unreadable. She watched as he took his time responding, wondering what he would want to do. She knew Kurt would want to go home just to see his father and Carole, as well as some of their other friends who would be home for break. But at the same time, she knew he wouldn't want to run the risk of having to see Blaine. After a few minutes, Kurt finally decided to answer her.

"I want to see my dad and Carole, and Mercedes. I'm not exactly looking forward to the possibility of seeing Finn or Blaine. Seeing Finn would be inevitable, considering we live in the same house. Blaine would be much easier to avoid. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Rachel honestly hadn't made up her mind, but her response surprised her. "I'd like to go to Lima."

Kurt looked vaguely amused at her response, but he didn't say whatever he was thinking. "We're going Black Friday shopping then. I can think of a few new wardrobe pieces you need."

Slightly surprised that the decision had been that simple, she nodded, texting her father back that she'd be coming home. He told her to book the flight that day and that they'd be at the airport to pick her up whenever her flight arrived into Dayton. Rachel and Kurt decided that they shouldn't wait until they were both home that evening, and they were able to find an afternoon flight the day before Thanksgiving. It wouldn't give them much time in Lima, but Rachel still had classes that week, and Kurt didn't want to take too much time off his internship.

With that settled, Rachel headed off to class, unable to figure out why she felt so excited about going back to Lima.

The next few days passed quickly, her time taken up with classes and extra rehearsals. The Winter Showcase kept looming closer, and if for some unbelievable reason she was picked she wanted to stand a chance at winning. Her dancing still needed work, and she found herself spending much more time than usual in the studio. Ms. July always seemed to stop in at some point to criticize her, and Rachel was trying her hardest to learn to ignore it and simply continue. She would always have critics, she may as well learn to manage them now before she makes her big break onto Broadway.

When she got home from school on Friday, Kurt was already home, strangely enough. Had she really stayed that late at school? Glancing at the clock, she realized that she had stayed at school practicing two hours more than she had planned. She could hear Kurt talking on the phone, and from the conversation she was able to figure out that he was talking to Mercedes. It sounded as if the two of them were making plans, and Rachel realized if she wanted to see anyone aside from her dads and Kurt during break she'd need to contact people as well.

Rachel pulled out her phone, and Quinn's text conversation was the first thing she looked at, knowing her friend would most likely have a number of plans already. That was the most logical reason for why Rachel had pulled up her number first without thinking about it. _Quinn, do you already have plans for Thanksgiving? I'm going to be returning to Lima after all. I will get in Wednesday afternoon._

Her phone buzzed less than a minute later. _Black Friday I am going shopping with Brittany and Santana. Wednesday night would work for me. Would you want to go to dinner, or to see a movie? _

Rachel grinned, relieved that Quinn would be able to make time for her. _Wednesday night would be perfect. We could do both, if that would be alright with you?_

_Sure, that would be fine. Why don't you call me when you're in Lima and we'll figure out what time and where we want to go?_

_Sounds perfect, Quinn. I'm looking forward to seeing you!_

She almost couldn't wait to get back to Lima now, knowing that she'd be able to see Quinn. Even the thought of seeing Finn wasn't upsetting her, and she went back out into the kitchen to finally make herself something to eat. Kurt was off the phone by this point, and he was sitting at the table with his laptop. Rachel didn't really have the energy to cook something, so she settled for just eating a salad, and took a seat across from Kurt.

"Mercedes said that we'll be missing the Glee reunion dinner at Breadstix. They're having it on Sunday night, before Thanksgiving, since the majority of them have the entire week off from school. I didn't think you'd be terribly upset about missing a dinner Finn will be at, even if the rest of the company is desirable."

Rachel set her fork down; slightly surprised that Mercedes had agreed to have a dinner that she and Kurt couldn't attend. Her first reaction was to become upset, and she felt the exact feeling she used to get before she would engage in a storm-out starting to build. But then she looked at Kurt, and noticed he seemed completely calm. Thinking about it, Rachel realized Mercedes likely wouldn't have been the one organizing the dinner. The more she thought about it, the more Rachel realized that whoever had done the planning had probably made a very tactful decision. This way both Rachel and Kurt would be able to see the people they wanted to see, and not have to deal with any awkward encounters or painful situations. Pacified, Rachel picked her fork up again and took another bite of her salad.

"Have you made any plans yet for Lima? Aside from our Black Friday shopping of course. I've been looking at a few websites to see what we can find you at the malls in Ohio."

"The only person I've told that I'm coming is Quinn. We're going to see each other on Wednesday night. She's spending Friday with Brittany and Santana, so Wednesday night worked best for both of us. I'm just hopeful our plane isn't delayed."

If Kurt had any thoughts about that, he didn't say anything or reveal them through his facial expression. Maybe he had finally abandoned whatever idea he'd had about the two of them? She still wasn't sure where Kurt's thoughts had come from in the first place, but if he was finally believing her when she insisted that there was nothing more than friendship going on, she was willing not to ask any more questions. "Have you made plans?"

"I'm going over to Mercedes's house on Wednesday. We decided that would be the best place to ensure I don't have to see Blaine. Thursday, I will be with family, which will most likely be slightly awkward between Finn and me. Friday, we're shopping. I haven't decided on anything for Saturday yet, but once we're back in Lima I think we'll find out more. Or I could use the time to catch up on work for my internship. Finn will likely be at the garage that day, so it might be a good time to see my dad and Carole."

Rachel continued picking at her salad. The mention of Finn's name made her feel unhappy and not want to eat. She tried swallowing a few more bites but then couldn't take anymore. She took her plate over to the sink, washing it out, and then made her way over to the couch to watch TV. She needed to see something mindless, to try to help her forget about everything that was going on at the moment. As she flipped through the channels she was grateful she and Kurt had decided to cave and get cable, knowing there's no way she would have found what she needed otherwise. She finally settled on a TLC show, distracted by the drama of the family being followed on the show. Before she knew it, she'd watched four episodes, and Kurt was telling her goodnight. Rachel turned off the TV and stood up, mentally kicking herself for sitting there watching a mindless show instead of talking to her friend or trying to do something productive.

She turned off the lights and went into her room, finding herself distracted throughout her nighttime routine. Rachel decided that she was having trouble because she was still so zoned-out from all that time on the couch, and knew that sleep was exactly what she needed. Settling down under the covers, she fell asleep very quickly.

_**She had finally made it, she thought breathlessly, as she stared out the window of the limo. She was still clutching the Tony award, not willing to let it go for a second. She'd worked too hard and spent too many hours preparing for this moment, and she realized she would probably fall asleep holding the award that evening. Rachel wasn't entirely sure where the limo was going, but she assumed it was to a hotel. As happy as she was, she couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that she was alone in the limo. There was supposed to be someone there with her, but for some reason she couldn't remember who it was. The driver finally pulled up in front of a large hotel, and he opened the door for her. There was someone from the hotel waiting for her, and he escorted her inside, taking her to a waiting elevator.**_

"_**Your guest has already arrived, Ms. Berry," he said, pressing a button so the doors shut. **_

_**Rachel nodded, feeling slightly confused. Who was her guest? Had one of her dads come to see her? Kurt? The elevator traveled up to her floor quickly, and she was escorted to her room. This was all familiar, but still confusing.**_

"_**I hope your stay will be completely satisfactory, Ms. Berry," he said, handing her an envelope with the key to her room inside. "Congratulations again on your award." **_

_**Rachel pulled a few dollars out of her clutch and tipped him, nodding at his congratulations. This was all so odd. Hopefully once she went inside her room everything would be much clearer. She opened the door and her eyes went wide at the large suite in front of her. She certainly hadn't expected anything like this. Rachel walked in slowly and slipped her heels off, carefully putting them away in one of the room's closets. The bathroom door was shut, so whoever had come to see her was likely in there. Rachel went over to the bed and sat down, still holding onto her award, feeling tired all of a sudden.**_

_**The bathroom door opened, and Rachel sat up straighter to try to see who was exiting. To her complete shock, Quinn stood in front of her, wearing an extremely fancy dress and looking incredibly beautiful. Quinn was her guest?**_

"_**Hi, baby. How was the after-party? I'm sorry I left early, but I wanted to get back to the room." **_

_**Rachel wasn't sure if she was hallucinating at that moment, and she nearly lost it when Quinn walked over and pressed her lips to Rachel's own. "Quinn, what, what's going on?" She looked up at Quinn curiously, not understanding.**_

The crack of thunder caused Rachel to sit up in bed with a start, completely yanked out of her dream world. Lightning flashed through the window a few seconds later, and Rachel sighed as she laid back down. It was just a storm, nothing to panic over. She laid back down, trying to settle into her pillow again.

What had just happened? The dream had started out normally enough; she'd had many dreams throughout the years about winning awards. No, the confusing part had been when Quinn had appeared. Why was Rachel dreaming about Quinn? That wasn't necessarily the odd part, Rachel had dreamt about her friends before. No, the strange part was that it had almost seemed like she and Quinn were _together_. The pet name, the feeling of Quinn pressing their lips together…

Another crack of thunder shook Rachel out of her thoughts. She sighed and rolled onto her side. She was clearly overreacting. Reading too much into it. It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything. Hadn't she spent the past few days telling Kurt how ridiculous his accusations were? Clearly she was just stressed and having some sort of residual thought about their arguments. That had to be what was happening.

Firmly convinced that that was what was happening, she fell asleep for the second time that night.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I apologize for the long delay. The semester has picked up a lot, so I haven't had very much free time. I turned in my final edits on my dissertation proposal today, so I'm hoping to have more time now.

The way the ground looked from an airplane window never failed to amaze Rachel, who stared eagerly out the window of the plane. Kurt was currently asleep next to her, his open design sketchbook in his lap. Rather than discuss her feelings about returning to Lima, she decided to let him sleep, not wanting to bring up the situation with Quinn any more than she had to do so. She and Kurt had danced around the subject over the past two weeks, with him bringing it up on occasions where Rachel couldn't escape easily, and her trying her best to avoid those situations.

After the dream she had had she had avoided texting Quinn, not wanting to give her subconscious any more material to use against her. She had considered telling Kurt about the dream, but the second she thought about his reaction she had decided against it. It was just a dream; it clearly meant nothing. But that didn't stop the nagging voice in the back of her head that told her just the opposite, that it meant a great deal more than she thought. She didn't have to be a potential psychology major like Quinn to know that there was a reason she had had that dream. Throwing herself into her school work had been her only solution, and if she was picked to compete in the Winter Showcase she would definitely be the most prepared student there.

The "Fasten Seatbelts" light flicked back on above her, and a flight attendant made an announcement that they were beginning their descent into Dayton. Rachel gently whispered Kurt's name, not wanting him to wake up completely disoriented as they landed. He looked slightly surprised that he had fallen asleep, frowning at the unfinished sketch on his lap. "Well, so much for getting work done on the plane," he said, putting it away in his bag.

The landing was uneventful, and Rachel found herself incredibly eager to get off the plane and see her dads. As much as she had been on the fence about this trip, she did miss them. She knew that they missed her as well, considering their lives had revolved entirely around her for the better part of the past eighteen years. Rachel waited impatiently until it was her turn to exit, relieved that she and Kurt had only brought carry-on luggage. Her dads had already texted her that they were waiting outside, and she walked much faster than normal to greet them. Both of her dads immediately swept her up in a hug the second she saw them, pleased to have their daughter back, even if it was just for a few days. They greeted Kurt as well, and once their suitcases were loaded, she and Kurt climbed into the backseat of her dads' car.

It was about an hour drive from Dayton to Lima, and Rachel had assumed they would pass the time like they did most car trips, by singing. But as they drove away from the airport, the radio remained strangely silent. "Dads," she started hesitantly, wondering if something was wrong, "aren't you going to turn the radio on? I have my iPod if you forgot to bring a CD for the ride home."

Her dads smiled at her in the mirror, and she saw Kurt roll his eyes next to her. "We thought we would spend the car ride home talking, since it's been a few weeks since we saw you. We can sing on the car ride back to the airport this weekend."

Kurt looked like he'd rather hitchhike to the airport than do that, and she glared at him.

"So, Rachel, Kurt, what do you both have planned for this weekend? I assume your friends from high school are back in town as well."

"Rachel and I are planning on going shopping on Friday, and I'm seeing Mercedes at some point. But I think I'm going to try to spend time with my dad and Carole. We don't get very much time to talk, and I know it's going to keep getting rarer and rarer for me to visit." He paused and glanced at Rachel, and she didn't like the look that crossed his face. "I believe Rachel's made plans with Quinn, for this evening, if I'm not mistaken."

Now Rachel really glared at him, not understanding why he felt the need to bring that up to her dads. What did it matter if she had plans or not?

"I always did like Quinn," her dad said. "After she stopped encouraging her friends to behave poorly, that is. But that girl seems to have matured into an intelligent and thoughtful young woman. She's certainly given you good advice in the past, Rachel."

She bit her lip and looked out the window, knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it. It was odd how big of a deal everyone was making over her friendship with Quinn. To her relief, her dads began asking Kurt about his internship, leaving her free for the rest of the car ride home. Her dad had been right; Quinn had always given her good advice. It was strange, when she thought about it; she had never actually listened to any of the advice Quinn had given her. She leaned her head against the window and stared out at the road, half-listening to Kurt talk about fashion.

They dropped Kurt off at his house, and Rachel felt slightly relieved that she'd have a few days to herself. She loved living with Kurt, but after having spent her entire life as an only child who'd never had to share anything, she certainly wasn't going to complain about having her own room again. Her dads asked if she wanted to go get something to eat, but Rachel asked if they could just go home. She was tired, and she simply wanted to go lie down in her room. Carrying her suitcase inside, she slipped out of her travel clothes into some sweats and laid down. Rachel had fallen into a half-sleep when her phone beeped, letting her know she had a new text message. She sat up slowly, feeling slightly drowsy and confused, and picked up her phone. It was from Quinn.

_Hey, Rach, I'm not sure if your flight arrived yet, but I was just texting to see if you still wanted to meet up tonight? _

She smiled, feeling herself relax for the first time in two weeks. _Yes, of course! I'm home in Lima now. Is there a time you'd prefer?_

_How about 6? I can pick you up at your house._

Rachel glanced at the clock and saw that it was four in the afternoon currently, which gave her a bit of time to sleep and then get ready. _I'll see you then!_

She laid back down, trying to sleep, but after about fifteen minutes realized it wasn't going to be any use. She decided to get ready, considering she felt funny after having been on a plane. The extra time she could use to talk to her dads, as they were one of the main reasons she was in Lima. When she walked into the kitchen at about a quarter to six, her dads were both seated at the table talking about something. They turned and looked at her, and Rachel noticed that they looked slightly surprised.

"You're wearing quite a bit of makeup. Are you going out with Quinn after all?"

Rachel frowned, feeling slightly confused. "This isn't any more than I normally wear. Quinn's picking me up in a little bit. I think we're going to dinner."

Her dads glanced at each other before looking back at her. "Well, I suppose I'm just not used to seeing your new look yet. It's a bit of a change for us," her dad said.

"I think change can be a good thing," Rachel answered, not liking what her dads were making it seem like. She and Quinn weren't going on a date, so why was everyone acting this way? Thankfully at that moment her phone buzzed, letting her know that Quinn had arrived. She told her dads goodbye and ran out the door, wanting to get away from all the strange assumptions as quickly as possible. She made her way over to the car and climbed inside the passenger's side, smiling at Quinn. "Hi," she said.

"Hi, Rachel. Ready to get going?" Quinn looked beautiful, like always. She was wearing a blue dress with a sweater pulled over it, and Rachel noticed that her hair was still getting longer. She nodded, buckling her seatbelt. It was still a slight surprise to see Quinn driving, considering she'd avoided it for so long after the accident. Not that Rachel blamed her; if she had almost died while driving she most likely would never drive again. But Quinn appeared to be at ease behind the wheel, and she pulled out of the driveway. Rachel smiled again as they were finally driving to their destination, happy that she was going to be able to spend time with her best friend again.


	9. Chapter 9

She had performed on a stage in front of several thousand people from all over the country, twice. She had sung in a room with perfect acoustics in front of judging classmates all vying to see the other fail, and one of the most critical and terrifying people she had ever met watching. She'd gone through more nerve-wracking situations at almost eighteen than many people did in a lifetime, yet none of them compared to how she felt at the current moment. She stared out the window, entirely nervous, not sure what to do, or say. Glancing to her side, she noticed Quinn appeared completely calm, as if she wasn't experiencing any of the terror Rachel currently felt. She'd been around Quinn like this numerous times, they had even slept in the same bed a few times, so why was she feeling more nervous than she had before her NYADA audition?

At the thought of sleeping in the same bed as Quinn, her face heated slightly, and she guiltily remembered the dream she had had a few weeks earlier. That was the answer, clearly. She had never had a dream that involved kissing Quinn before, and now the reality of what she had been suppressing for the past few weeks was fully out in the open. A voice startled her out of her train of thought, and Rachel felt herself jump slightly. "What?" she said, not liking the slightly surprised tone she heard.

"I just asked how your flight was, Rachel. Is everything okay?" Quinn kept her eyes glued to the road, but Rachel still heard the note of concern in the other girl's voice. Rachel assumed Quinn's diligent attention to the road was a remnant from her accident, one of many precautions the girl likely took now.

"It was okay. I'm just a bit tired. I've been rehearsing quite a bit lately, with the Winter Showcase coming up in a few weeks. I likely won't be chosen, but it's no excuse not to be prepared."

She saw Quinn smile, but her attention still didn't stray from the road. "Rachel, you're an amazing performer. I'm sure your teachers have noticed that. Even if you aren't chosen this year, which I'm sure the only reason you wouldn't be is because it's just your first year, you'll probably be chosen next year."

"You clearly haven't met my dance teacher then," she replied, frowning. Ms. July would certainly make it her mission to terrorize Rachel if she was picked for the showcase.

"Coach Sylvester certainly never treated Santana, Brittany, or me overly warmly. She was always critical of us, more so than the other Cheerios. She did that because she wanted us to be our best. I think that's likely what your dance teacher is doing. She knows how difficult it will be out there, performing, and she wants to make sure you're ready."

"Quinn, I'm the only one she treats that way. There has to be something wrong with me."

"Or, it could be because she knows you're the best one in your class, and wants to challenge you."

Quinn pulled the car into a parking spot, and Rachel peered out the window to see where they where. They were clearly downtown, and parked in front of a little café she had never been to before. With the takeout professionals she and her dads were, she was slightly surprised to be in front of a restaurant she had never been to before, but decided the place looked nice. It was small, which meant it wouldn't be overly crowded. Rachel climbed out onto the street, and waited for Quinn to lock the car before heading inside. When they finally entered the restaurant, Rachel smiled, liking the calm environment in front of her. She glanced at Quinn, wondering how the other girl had ever found a place like this. It certainly didn't seem like somewhere she would have gone with her family, or with any of her previous boyfriends for that matter.

"I found this place the summer before senior year. I liked to come here and write, and drink too much coffee. The food is good, and it has some options for you. Is this okay? We can go somewhere else, too. I just thought this might be nice, because it's smaller."

"It's perfect. Thanks for considering if I could eat here, too," Rachel replied, grinning up at Quinn. Memories of times Finn had forgotten about her veganism came rushing back, and she shook her head, trying to concentrate on the situation she was currently in, not the past.

"Rachel, of course I'd think of that. Let's go get a table."

Rachel was happy with the menu, and when both girls ordered, she thanked Quinn again for picking a nice restaurant. "Did you go to the Breadsticks dinner on Sunday? Kurt and I couldn't get back here until today, so we weren't able to see everyone."

"I did. Almost everyone was there. Puck, Finn, Santana, Mercedes, Mike. Mercedes loves LA. She's in talks for a record deal, and she's enjoying living in a bigger city. Puck is there too, but they haven't really run into one another. I'm not entirely sure what Puck does there. He didn't really say too much about it. Mike is at the Joffrey, and he likes studying dance full time. Plus the location of the school is nice, too. Santana is Santana. I think she wishes she had gone somewhere else for college. She didn't say that, but I could kind of tell when she talked about it."

Rachel noticed Quinn had purposely not said anything about Finn. Was it because there was something she didn't want Rachel to know? Well, she would find out anyway, from Kurt, so it was probably better to hear sooner than later. "And Finn?"

"He's living here, helping to coach Glee club. I think he works in the tire shop too. Kurt's dad is pretty busy, with Congress and everything. He just seems, stuck. We've all moved on, in our own ways, and he's still here."

"Well, that's too bad," Rachel said, not sure what she thought about Finn's current living situation. If she'd had her way, she would be living here, likely married to him, keeping his house and doing who knows what else. Reapplying to NYADA, probably, but not anything else. Maybe helping with Glee as well. The thought of what her life could have been saddened her, and she realized she had likely prevented a large mistake when she had boarded that train to New York the past June.

Before she could say anything else, their food arrived. Rachel began eating, not wanting to dwell too much on thoughts of Finn, or what might have been.

"Santana at least, will be here through the weekend. She wanted to see you. I think some other people will be here too. Maybe on Saturday we can all get together," Quinn said, smiling. It looked like she was trying to distract Rachel, probably realizing the topic of Finn wasn't helping anything.

"I'd like that," Rachel answered, before taking another bite of her salad. They spent the rest of the meal in relative silence, which only served to make Rachel feel more nervous. After they had both finished and paid, Quinn suggested they go see a movie, and Rachel agreed. Even with the strange mood she was in, she didn't want to go home quite yet. Quinn drove them both to the theater, and they decided to see a general comedy. Being near Thanksgiving, a number of the movies were geared more at families, so that looked like the safest option. It was also likely the only option that wouldn't involve them being in a theater filled with couples or children.

Thirty minutes in, Rachel realized they should have looked at the synopsis a bit more carefully. It wasn't just a comedy, it was a _romantic _comedy. The poster was misleading. As she watched the main characters go on a date, she found her mind drifting to the prospect of herself and Quinn on an actual date. What that would be like. If at the end of the night, if things went well, if Quinn would kiss her goodnight. Where had that come from? Rachel needed to get out of the theater and clear her head. She stood up and made her way out to the aisle, whispering apologies to everyone around her.

She wandered around the lobby for a few minutes, pausing to get a drink of water. Once she had calmed down, she decided she could go back into the movie and avoid distractions. There would be no more thoughts of dates, or of her on a date with Quinn. She would simply concentrate on the movie. Rachel took a deep breath and walked back into the theater, whispering apologies to the people she stepped in front of once more.

"Everything okay, Rach?" Quinn whispered as Rachel sat down again.

"Oh, it's fine. I just needed some water." Rachel glued her eyes to the screen, willing herself to concentrate on the movie for the rest of the time. To her relief, it worked, and she was able to prevent her thoughts from drifting back to anything about dating Quinn. It was actually a pleasant movie, once she stopped being distracted. When it ended, she and Quinn made their way out of the theater and back to the car, talking about what they had thought about the ending. Quinn filled Rachel in on the fifteen minutes she had missed, and Rachel felt slightly relieved she had chosen to get up after all.

The car ride back to Rachel's house was spent mostly in silence. Quinn looked somewhat tired, and Rachel found herself yawning quite frequently. She decided to just close her eyes for a few minutes. It wasn't like she would fall asleep, and she'd be more rested so she and Quinn could talk the rest of the way home.

The next thing she knew, a pair of arms were supporting her shoulders and helping her walk toward her house. She blinked groggily, trying to figure out what had happened. "Dads?" she whispered, confused as a hand reached out and unlocked the door.

"No, you fell asleep, Rach," a voice said, helping Rachel through the doorway.

"Quinn?" she whispered, feeling slightly confused.

"You wouldn't wake up, and you looked so peaceful. I thought I'd try to help you to the house, but you woke up," Quinn said. Rachel could clearly hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"Do you want to stay? It's late, and dark. You're tired." What was she doing? She wasn't that tired, to suggest something so stupid. She tried to figure out how to take back what she had just said, but her brain wasn't working very well.

"Okay. I'll text my mom. Ever since the accident, I get tired more easily. Thanks, Rachel."

Feeling panicky, she opened the door to her room, ducking into her bathroom immediately. Maybe if she stayed in the bathroom long enough, Quinn would be asleep in the guestroom when she came out. She waited patiently, making sure to take her time washing her face and going through her nightly routine. When she finally finished, she stepped back into her room, smiling at the sight in front of her. Quinn laid asleep, curled up in a peaceful ball. Rachel stood and stared at her for a few minutes, before realizing what she was doing bordered on stalker behavior. Fully aware this was a bad idea, she climbed into bed beside Quinn, and turned out the light before falling back asleep.


End file.
